Spotted in Kichijoji! President Obama sez: spend more time in your local pachinko parlor!
So what's the Obama-pachinko connection? Pachinko parlors live or die by how many customers they can lure into their shops. Tactics vary from the slick ( lavishing money on licensed pachinko machines featuring famous characters) to the not-so-slick (hiring the famed "chindon-ya," traditional marching-bands, to create a musical commotion outside of your parlor.) The instantly recognizable and widely popular Barack Obama is just the latest tool in a savvy parlor owner's ever-changing sack of tricks.
What's next? Hard to say, but there are rumors of rubber-skinned Obama replicants proliferating in downtown Tokyo...
the awesomeness of this find simply cannot be contained.
Posted by: Made in DNA | February 05, 2009 at 10:34 AM
Since pachinko parlors are funneling their profits to Pyongyang, this proves that a Democratic president is bad for Japan's interests!!!111ichi
Posted by: Peter | February 05, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Yes We Can Buy!!: http://howtojapanese.blogsome.com/2009/02/02/p188/
It's pretty incredible how that phrase has taken off.
Posted by: Daniel | February 05, 2009 at 09:54 PM
Oh God, everything has to pachinkized!
Posted by: ReallyJapan | February 07, 2009 at 11:10 AM
There is also a pachinko parlor in Sapporo called Vegas Vegas that has a Obama-like mascot on the posters outside. When you walk indoors a voice yells in english "YESWECAN! YESWECAN! YESWECAN!" Freaking hilarious!
Posted by: Roteshaar | February 14, 2009 at 11:21 AM